If the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words is indeed true (and I think it is), then how many words is an audio snapshot of a once in a lifetime experience? I had the opportunity to consider this question at length when I downloaded and played the recently published episode #24 of Bird Watcher’s Digest‘s This Birding Life podcast. Much to my delight, I was greeted not only by the familiar voice of Bird Watcher’s Digest editor-in-chief and podcast host Bill Thompson III, but also by Panama la Verde‘s Ana Maria Sanchiz (owner of Hostal Casa de Campo Country Inn & Spa) and Yenia Mendoza (owner of ReConTur Panama) with whom Bill sat down for an interview while he and I were both in the country on a Panama la Verde tour.
Then, as the discussion with Ana Maria and Yenia concluded, voices even more familiar than those two new-found friends’ were heard – for Bill segued into another interview recorded while we were at the Hostal Casa de Campo. Lisa White (director of guidebooks in the trade and reference division, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), Jeffrey Gordon (author, guide, photographer, blogger, and all-around good guy), Mike Frieberg (birding team member, Nikon), and yours truly all sat down with Bill around a table late one evening to reflect upon our Panamanian adventure that was just then nearly coming to its conclusion. It was a truly memorable evening that capped a absolutely marvelous trip and I’m overjoyed that Bill has now released the recording of it for all to enjoy.
